Explorer Sir John Franklin met with Yellowknives Dene leader Akaitcho almost two centuries ago, and the impact still has people talking today.
Now 62, elder Fred Sangris remembers hearing this account as a young man from many elders, including his grandfather.
SA国际影视传媒淭he story I'm going to tell you is not as old as the rocks or the sky, but my story is very old SA国际影视传媒� itSA国际影视传媒檚 older than my father,SA国际影视传媒� said Sangris.
In the fall, just before the leaves turned yellow, explorer Sir John Franklin arrived in what is now the City of Yellowknife. At the time, around 1820 there were more than 20 Yellowknives Dene villages stretching from the North Arm to the northeast.
SA国际影视传媒淭housands of Yellowknives lived along the shoreline,SA国际影视传媒� said Sangris.
SA国际影视传媒淎s Franklin arrived here from the Slave, the story goes that he went to one of the villages in Gros Cap, 60 km out of here. And the people asked him to continue your journey down, because they had Chipewyan voyageurs and interpreters from Lake Athabasca who were guides and they spoke the same TSA国际影视传媒檚atsaotSA国际影视传媒檌ne language as the people here.SA国际影视传媒�
When he arrived at the old village in Dettah, people said the same thing: continue your journey to the river.
SA国际影视传媒淎kaitcho is the boss, you want to talk to the boss,SA国际影视传媒� said Sangris.
Akaitcho was at Wiiliideh, the Yellowknife River. Chief Kaw Tay Whee, chief of the Yellowknife River tribe, was also there, according to Sangris.
When Franklin arrived, the Yellowknives already knew people were coming.
SA国际影视传媒淩ight by PilotSA国际影视传媒檚 Monument there was people there,SA国际影视传媒� Sangris said. SA国际影视传媒淭he Yellowknives hunt in this area too and they were watching the lake for people and strangers.SA国际影视传媒�
On top of the hill by Yellowknife River people were vigilant as well.
A smoke signal went up on the hill and at the river. They realized it was English people, who were not new to the Yellowknives. They were already trading with them at Fort Providence in the 1790s, but the Yellowknives were wary.
SA国际影视传媒淪o they always sent somebody whoSA国际影视传媒檚 pretending to be a chief,SA国际影视传媒� said Sangris with a laugh.
SA国际影视传媒淎kaitcho sent someone out in the big crowds at the Yellowknife River, Wiiliideh site. They sent a guy up there to ask the strangers who they were and what they wanted.SA国际影视传媒�
Franklin and his men wanted to talk to the chief about following a river to the ocean. They proposed to hire Akaitcho as a guide and get his help on their journey. Realizing there might be trading involved, Akaitcho and Kaw Tay Whee stepped forward. Through the interpreter, they realized Franklin wanted to go up the Coppermine River to the Arctic Ocean.
SA国际影视传媒淎nd beyond, because they say that he wanted to go across the country to see the land,SA国际影视传媒� Sangris added.
But because it was fall, just before freeze-up, Akaitcho told Franklin they couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 travel now, but they could in the spring.
SA国际影视传媒淔ranklin was, according to the elders, he was not very happy SA国际影视传媒� very angry SA国际影视传媒� and wanted to give orders to people in the campground to demand that they take him,SA国际影视传媒� said Sangris.
SA国际影视传媒淎nd they said no. You can go if you want. YouSA国际影视传媒檙e not going to go far.SA国际影视传媒�
Franklin still wanted to trade and continue to talk with the Yellowknives. Seeing the Europeans were carrying muskets, Akaitcho asked for 10 of each: musket rifles and ammunition, cooking pots, steel knives and axes. Franklin turned the deal down, and only wanted to give them one of each.
SA国际影视传媒淚 think it was on the third day in the morning when the elders said Franklin went across with his voyageur guides, to the Wiiliideh site and he spoke to Akaitcho directly. And he said weSA国际影视传媒檒l give you all that, only if we leave tomorrow. We leave right away,SA国际影视传媒� said Sangris.
Akaitcho warned them again about the ice, but Franklin wanted to go, so they went.
Sure enough, before the party arrived at Coppermine, the canoes started to get into ice. So Franklin decided to build a fort for the winter north of Snare Lake. Akaitcho and the Yellowknives supplied his crew with food and provisions.
SA国际影视传媒淏ecause they made a promise with Franklin and they shook hands and they said they would look after them, from beginning to end,SA国际影视传媒� Sangris said of the commitment.
Akaitcho went to the Thelon River, where the hunting was good for muskox and caribou.
In the late spring, Akaitcho and his men went to check on Franklin and his crew.
SA国际影视传媒淭hey found him pretty hungry,SA国际影视传媒� said Sangris.
So they hunted caribou for him and the women made dry-meat so he could continue his journey.
SA国际影视传媒淭hey had a long ways to go because now they were going to go down the Coppermine River,SA国际影视传媒� said Sangris.
When that journey was done, Franklin gifted Akaitcho a gold medallion from the Crown of England. Franklin told Akaitcho to take this medallion to any of the forts and buy everything he needed, to thank him for helping them survive the expedition. So Akaitcho went to the forts at Fort Resolution, Lake Athabasca and more.
SA国际影视传媒淗e showed them the medallion and he bought all the supplies that he needed,SA国际影视传媒� said Sangris.
SA国际影视传媒淲hat Akaitcho was doing during that time around 1825-26, he was using the very first credit card SA国际影视传媒� and heSA国际影视传媒檚 still buried with it.SA国际影视传媒�
Years later, Akaitcho died near Dettah. His dying wish was for his grave to be a secret, and his children to be adopted out and given different names, away from here.
SA国际影视传媒淭hey also carry stories too,SA国际影视传媒� said Sangris.
The Yellowknives fulfilled his last request and buried him on an island in the bay, a secret they keep to this day.
SA国际影视传媒淲e know where he was buried but we keep it a secret because Akaitcho was a warrior and a grand chief,SA国际影视传媒� Sangris said.
The 200th anniversary of the Franklin expedition is coming up, and Fred Sangris said they plan to approach the city and put on a play to commemorate it.
SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 going to be a very important play because many of the young generations here donSA国际影视传媒檛 understand much of our history,SA国际影视传媒� said Sangris.
